We interviewed John Cale in issue #156 around the time of his previous release, Mercy. He has just released POPtical Illusion, a collection of synth and keyboard heavy tunes that carry a heavy, and at times angry message about the state of the world. That is not to say that that Cale has lost all hope and there is optimism that we can still bring about change. POPtical Illusion was produced by Cale along with longtime artistic collaborator Nita Scott.
I thought I'd seen it all until I heard about collectors that pass around bootlegged copies of the test tones and bias pads from all genres of artists and albums. From an article in MOJO this month:
"Sorting their collections by "tones at head" or...
by Alex Maiolo
The term “linchpin” tends to get chucked around pretty liberally when we discuss music scenes, but Ed Ackerson, who succumbed to pancreatic cancer on October 4th, was the very embodiment of it. Ed was one of those...
So I just noticed an email in my inbox from a PR person with the headline: "XXXXX MICS FEATURED IN THE BEATLES?: ROCK BAND? VIDEO GAME". What's next? "Shure SM57 seen briefly in a movie"? "Rob Thomas sings into wrong side of a mic in a video"? Oh...
We interviewed Herb Alpert in Tape Op #140, and he hasn't slowed down since. He just released his 50th album, aptly titled 50.
It is yet another prime example of the lounge pop genre he all but invented with The Tijuana Brass starting in the...
This three song EP from Jonathan Wilson and Milton Nascimento was not what I expected. I am a fan of both artists, but Moon Over Minas caught me off guard! It is a reverb-soaked, haunting, and psychedelic listen that leans much more to the sound of...
Whether you have been a fan of The Pixies and their indie rock masterworks Surfer Rosa and Doolittle since the late-'80s, or are just joining the conversation, you'll love their new release, The Night The Zombies Came. ...
Guitarist Michael Belfer passed away March 20, 2022 from a series of compounding health issues. He was a friend and my bandmate in Black Lab back in the late ’90s. His unique playing and sound was an influence on players such as Sonic...
During one of the many calls I have on a regular basis with my musician and audio professional friends, it dawned on me what a priveldge these conversations are and thought it might be a good idea to share them with a larger audience as a way to take...
I was amazed today to be informed that phonograph cylinders are still being manufactured. Madame Pamita dropped us a line a while back and surprised us with some cool music recorded on Cylinders by Peter Dilg, of the Edison Historical Site, and it...